Program Design

The Adult Education Transitions to College level Technical Programs project offered GED students that had passed three or more parts of the GED test or scored at the 10th grade level on the TABE test the opportunity to attend an introductory course in computers or health careers at no cost to the students. The courses were offered as continuing education courses. Courses are 32 hours in length, and the class size is limited to ten students. After students complete the introductory course, obtain their GED, and enroll in their chosen program at the college, the respective college’s staff will assist them in obtaining 2 credit hours for the course. While attending the course, students learn successful study skills, receive information about a variety of careers and receive assistance in applying for financial aid.

Terminology

Adult Basic Education (ABE) - Pre-college courses such as general educational development (GED), English- as- a second language (ESL) or other developmental course work.

General Educational Development (GED) - Tests measure the outcome of a high school education. The GED Tests consist of five tests, one in each of these subjects: Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Writing Skills, and Interpreting Literature and the Arts.

Tech Prep - is a comprehensive and articulated program that offers students the opportunity to study in a career program in high school and either gain credit or experience which will assist students in their transition to higher education.

The design of the program should reflect the needs of the local community. Input from the local school district, college, one stop centers, state agencies and other interested community organizations should determine the design of the project. Develop and meet with an Advisory and Focus Group to include GED instructors, technical program faculty, and community organization personnel, to plan, develop, evaluate, and disseminate the project’s results. Potential students should be surveyed to determine the best time and days to hold the classes to encourage retention. Revise the course curriculum to include life skills training to prepare the student for the college environment. Introduce students to representatives from the college’s student services such as Admissions, Financial Aid, Counseling/Advisement, Learning Center, and Student Support Center.